mustafa a.'s Profile

What a terrible experience. Never again. I was with a big group on Wednesday for lunch. We had reservations and our table was all setup in a lovely spot by the window. I ask about the Tuna over beans, and the waiter replied that it is lightly seared over beans. Yum, sounds perfect. I order. Of course, everything went down-hill after that. Our order was really late, somehow they ran out of pasta and had make more! Every few minutes, the waiter would show-up and say it is just a few more minutes. Eventually, our order shows up - must have been 30minutes later than normal. My tuna was a bone dry stick (perhaps, sitting under a heat lamp all along), nothing lightly seared about it. To make matters worse, it was drenched in Salt. I would have tossed it back if it wasn't for the fact that I was really hungry and was co-hosting the meal. I didn't want to ruin the experience for the rest. After a few minutes, the few people sitting next to me started to remark - this is terrible - all salt. We cannot eat it. Of course, by then, it was really late, we were really hungry and all we wanted to do was leave and simply go back to work! The bills shows up, waiter doesn't ask how was the meal. He knew the meal was terrible. We pay and leave. Never again.  My afternoon is spent drinking lots of water trying to get the salty taste out of my mouth.

Overpriced and mediocre latte. Painfully slow service. Nice space, but the vibe is all wrong. Regret stopping.

We were the only guests at the hotel on a Tuesday night and it was very nice. The place is elegant simple. Extremely friendly! Genuinely friendly! Could not ask for more on that front. We swam in the pool (lovely), played Bocce ball and had lots of fun. The morning french press coffee was excellent.

The place is a solid 3 in my book for value.
So, what's missing?

Well, it would have been a 4 or 5 if it was a short walk to some town, river or hike trails - or if it had some view. I live in the city and like to walk to places without a car. I know, that is a personal preference, but then again so is this review. The room size was a little tight and it didn't help that I had to duck down to fit under the shower head. OK, the last one is really minor - but it all adds up, or subtracts in this case.

Maybe it is a 4 instead of 3
People were extra friendly, and that is worth an extra star.

It started with really bad wine. I expect a little more for a $10 glass. It was so acidic that I could not take another sip. Fortunately, that was taken off the bill. I really don't like the idea of a restaurant adding something bad on the menu as a way to force you to pay more. Anyway, we proceeded to share the $16 glass of pinot. It was drinkable but nothing special. We sat outside for a while, they have a nice patio in the back.

We went inside for dinner. The decor of the place was boring. A "mosaic" of stuff or a mishmash, your call. It didn't help that the restaurant was part of strip of shops on a busy street. We shared a mushroom appetizer and that was lovely. I wish the main courses were as good. We ordered the bison cooked medium well and an order of the stuffed risotto peppers for the main course. The main course took a long time to arrive. The bison was bloody, I know it is fashionable to under-cook meat, but why ask me how I like my meat and not deliver. We were hungry by then and didn't want to deal with sending it back and ruin the moment. The outside edges were ok but a large part of the inside was just raw. The risotto stuffing of the second dish was fine, but nothing was done to the peppers. I was expecting grilled peppers or a slightly cooked pepper. It seemed like somebody tossed it on the grill for a moment and called it a day. Both plates arrived with greens topped with pickled onions. The onions seem to work with the bison but killed the subtle taste of the stuffed peppers.

In summary, the place is expensive and you don't get what you pay for. I wouldn't recommend the place for any special occasion. We were celebrating our 5 year anniversary.

Alex! Despite my request I always end-up stylish. If you want somebody to give you exactly what you need then ask for Alex.

Don't usually give something a one, but this place needs it. It was a terrible experience. Why in the world would you place a speaker immediately above the order counter! and blast it. I had to scream my order (then return it because it wasn't what I ordered). The entire order process was a mess. Everything from the menu, pizza glass window, the line, the attendant was dysfunctional. The pizza was called out at the same dysfunctional station and not by number or name but by the generic pizza that was ordered. Imagine what happens when several people order the same type of slice. In the end, the pizza was dry and flaming hot. I had to salvage my lunch experience by walking to specialties and getting a cookie.

Bike shops are a special breed of stores. Friendly staff doesn't seem to be a qualification. Then you have Refried. They are a completely different category. You will walk out feeling happy instead of feeling like an idiot. The selection of bikes is limited but if you are looking to get your bike fixed, tuned, or updated. It is the place to go.

steak and artichoke sauce was excellent, fish was ok, but dessert was mediocre - I was expecting a little more

I like NOPA. We dropped in unannounced on a Saturday. Our option was an hour+ wait for a reservation or hover for a seat on the open table. We were hungry and proceeded with both options. I knocked out a star because I really don't like the idea of hovering, trying to sort-out who will finish next, or who was waiting first. It is a frustrating waste of energy. A simple chalk board would suffice. Fortunately, our reservation came through quickly and we were seated facing the kitchen. We were excited, we love seeing the kitchen in action. Our evening proceeded to be perfect, the food was great and service was friendly.

Excellent. Finally, an Arabic restaurant in the area. I can walk to Taboun and that is worth an extra star. The place is friendly and the food is great. I like the majadara along with everything else. Please go, I would like to see the place make it.